The One-Straw Revolution - Multiworld India

cutting back the weeds [During the summer Mr. Fukuoka cuts the weeds,briers, and tree sprouts growing beneath the orchard trees with a scythe.]As a result of this thick weed/ clover cover, over the past twenty-fiveyears, the surface layer of the orchard soil, which had been hard red clay,has become loose, dark colored, and rich with earthworms and organicmatter.With the green manure fertilizing the topsoil and the roots of theMorishima acacia improving the soil deep down, you can do quite wellwithout fertilizer and there is no need to cultivate between the orchardtrees. With tall trees for windbreaks, citrus in the middle, and a greenmanure cover below, I have found a way to take it easy and let theorchard manage itself.64